The Big Mac Bundle



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Stack Social’s shown up with a new Mac bundle worth consideration. For $17.99 you get 14 Mac Applications. Several of them are apps I currently use or have used. Take a look at the list below. That’s a lot of software for 18 bucks. Also, if you buy through the links in this post, I get some taco money. I love tacos.

Ember – This is one is a gem and the reason this bundle caught my eye. I use Ember to organize photos and screenshots for MacSparky projects.

Voila – This is another one I paid full price for. It helps you capture, record & then annotate screenshots and is a great companion for Ember.

Kinemac – I haven’t used this one yet but am looking forward to trying it out. It lets you create 3D animations.

RapidWeaver – This application lets you build and deploy websites from your Mac. 

WiFi Radar Pro – Collect & troubleshoot network issues.

Candy Apple  – Design creative masterpieces or edit & add effects w/ this pro vector drawing app.

Deliver Express – Standard  –  Create hot folders, then auto-send to up to 50 locations.

MacPilot – Turn hidden features on & off on your Mac to optimize your workflow.

Concealer – Protect sensitive files w/ passwords & encryption options.

SendLater – Schedule emails to send on a specific date or at a specific time.

Commander – Seamlessly interact w/ your files in a two-pane file manager interface.

MacBooster 3 – Maintain & optimize your Mac w/ performance enhancing tools & malware removal.

Levavo Blu-ray Ripper – watch Blu-rays on your computer, media players or other devices.

Picture Collage Maker – turn your images into unique collages, card, scrapbooks & more.

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Relay FM App


If you are a fan of Mac Power Users, you should go ahead and download the new Relay app. A lot of work went into this app and it looks and works great. You can subscribe and follow Relay shows right in the application.

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MPU 282: Making it up as we go along

We just published this week’s MPU live. Mark Metzger joined us to chat about File Maker. We also talked about cleaning up iOS, follow-up on Office 365 accounts and Google Docs, discuss Mac/PC hybrid setups, hear from a virtual assistant, share listener tips and tricks and Katie shares her experiences with the iPad Air 2.

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Jazz Friday: Phil Woods at the Village Vanguard


Alto Saxophonist Phil Woods was an animal. I saw him for the first time in the late 70’s and it changed the way I thought about the saxophone forever. Phil played so fast and hard that it reminded me of a running out of control and always about to fall on my face. But Phil never fell down. 

Some called him the “New Bird” because of the way he played so intensely like Charlie Parker. (He also was married to Bird’s widow.) I always thought of him as the jazz-hippie because I was introduced to him during his long-hair phase. For awhile, Phil lived in France and recorded avant-garde jazz with a group called the European Rhythm Machine. (A nice example of this music is their song, Chromatic Banana.) By the 70’s, Phil moved back to the United States, returned to more straight ahead jazz, and got a haircut.

Phil also played sax for many popular artists including Billy Joel and Paul Simon. Whether playing upbeat or a ballad, Phil Woods always played intensely. My pick, his Live at the Village Vanguard is on iTunes and features him powering through Webb City and equally nailing a ballad as only Phil could in Prelude to a Kiss. Like a lot of jazz artists, the best Phil Woods recordings are those made before a live audience.

Phil passed away last week at the age of 83. The below video is of Phil playing in Lincoln Center a few years ago. Even in his 80’s Phil Woods still could swing his ass off.

My Home Screen: iOS 9 Edition

While I’m usually featuring someone else’s home screen, with the release of iOS 9 and a few other developments, I thought I’d share my own home screen today. So, here goes.


My home screen is always in motion. For example, the Notes app is currently in my dock because I’m still testing it as a potential full-time notes solution. Camera is likewise in the dock because the 3D touch buttons on the Photos application icon make keeping the app on my home screen suddenly relevant again. Audible is another example. I don’t usually keep it on the home screen but I’ve been listening to James Corey’s Expanse Series so I want quick access.

Drafts is still a thing for me. Even with iOS 9, I like the ability to start dictating text with one press. I also admire the way Drafts keeps evolving to take advantage of new iOS features. It’s now 3D touch-friendly.

Unread is under new management but still manages to hold onto the whimsey that makes it my RSS tool of choice.

About two months ago, I got tired of looking at Tweetbot on the iPad and switched over to the native Twitter app. About the time I started figuring out the official app, Tweetbot released its new version with much better iPad support and I went back without thinking twice.

1Password is another application that I like to keep on my home screen. I’ve got so much data in there and want easy access. Secure notes are a great feature in 1Password if you want to keep something important behind a separate security wall.

I haven’t decided if the App Store deserves to be on home screen but with all the post-iOS 9 app updates, it’s going to stay there for at least the next month.

The strangest development is that my home screen is now my only screen. Katie Floyd made the suggestion in a recent episode of Mac Power Users. She split all her additional apps into just 4 folders. I tried it and was skeptical at first but I think I’m sold. The folders are Productivity, Reference, Utility, and Fun, I’ve put the most frequently used apps in each category in that first page and I can now get to my favorite apps without swiping away from the home screen.

My wallpaper is another thing constantly in motion. The current one is a picture of a gray brick wall that I like (for now).

If I were in charge at Apple, I’d continue to give iOS more power-user features. I understand how they want to keep things simple but as iOS evolves, the operating system needs more power tools. 3D Touch is a great start. It’s easy to use and easily ignorable. More of that please.

Fantastical for iOS 2.5

This week the other penny dropped for Fantastical. On the heals of their Mac update comes Fantastical for iOS 2.5. There’s a long list of updates and new features including things like 3D Touch on the new iPhones and multitasking. 

For me, the big story here is the Apple Watch app. It’s always looked better than the native Calendar app but also been hampered by the fact it’s not a native application. It is now. The native app is much faster, now includes a Fantastical complication, and retains that clean Fantastical design. I’ve switched all my calendar complications over to the new Fantastical.

Apple Maps in 2015

Poor Apple Maps. It has been the whipping boy of the Internet for several years. Here is my favorite shot at Apple Maps from last season’s Silicon Valley.

For the first year after Apple Maps released, I kept Google maps on my home screen. However, after that Apple Maps improved enough to work for me. Moreover, the killer feature with Apple Maps is the Siri integration. I can be driving down the road, press the button for Siri and say “get directions home” or “get directions to Hippieland Granola Factory” and Siri does the rest of the work for me. It looks it up, opens the location in Apple Maps, and then initiates directions. This has saved my bacon plenty.

I still think this is a function of where you live. With me being in California, I suspect the Apple Maps problems got fixed a lot sooner than it would for someone who lives somewhere more remote. Nevertheless, if you gave up hope in Apple Maps, you should go look at it again. How-to Geek just did a comparison of the two services and found Apple and Google maps were a lot closer than they expected.

Self Driving Cars

Matt Honan, who’s at Buzzfeed these days, got to go for a ride in a Google car.

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“A future without human drivers is a long, long way off. But we’ll get there. No matter what you think. No matter what you hope. No matter how you feel about it. Because the efficient, unemotional, necessary logic of cars that operate without human error and instability is unquestionable.”

Matt further explains how the Google cars, now with a combined 3 million driving miles under their belts, are sharing the same brain and, in essence, learn from each other’s mistakes. While that sounds creepy, I am all for self-driving cars. In the past week alone, I’ve seen a driver do her makeup on the freeway and another driver shaving while blowing through an intersection. Setting aside the legions of bad drivers, wouldn’t it be nice if you could spend your commute time getting some work done or (even better) taking a nap? Once all this sorts out, sign me up.

(Thanks Daring Fireball for pointing me at the linked article.)

Home Screens: Brian Sutich


Brian Sutich (Twitter) is a huge Apple guy who writes over at TheAppFactor.com and Sutich.org. Brian’s a man of many hats as a dad, musician, and audio engineer. So Brian, show us your home screen.


My homescreen is a little crazy, but it has a method to its madness. I try to put my most used apps where I can reach them, and I use Spotlight search so much, that it almost doesn’t matter where the icons are at this point.

What are some of your favorite apps?

I’ve installed 1Password on every device I own, and that coupled with TextExpander are auto-installs I couldn’t live without because of how much time they save me.

Speaking of time-savers, Slack came out of nowhere and now I’m subscribed to multiple channels. I enjoy it a heck of a lot more than email, and I’ve met some great folks through using it. 

I left Spotify this year for Apple Music, and I haven’t had any of the problems yet (fingers crossed) that people have complained about. I love Apple Music because of their catalog, Beats 1, and the curation. I have big hopes for the app as it gets updated. 

For photography I use a combination of Obscura to take photos, and Pixelmator to edit them. Those apps are so powerful at this point, that they truly feel desktop-class. 

For journaling and trying to figure life out, I’m using Day One. I love the design on both iOS and OS X. I try to journal as much as possible and I’ve found it has had a huge positive impact on my life. 

I’m also using Paprika for collecting recipes I’m looking to try and cook. I haven’t burned anything yet!

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

It has to be a tie between Tweetbot and Overcast. I check Twitter more than I’d like to admit and Tweetbot has been my favorite client on iOS and OS X. I’m subscribed to tons of podcasts in Overcast (so I can listen to alllll the great shows), and some months I listen to more podcasts than I do music. I can’t wait for the update to Overcast, but I also have my eye on what’ll happen with the new version of Castro.

What app makes you most productive?

For getting stuff done, it’s a combination of Fantastical, Todoist and Due. Each app gives me something different for long term, medium, and short term tasks I have to get done. 

On the writing side, I’d say it’s a combination of Editorial, Blink, and Clips. All great apps that help me put together an article right on my iPhone.

Finally, Nike +, Pedometer ++ and Get Moving have all helped me in my quest to get in shape. I just finished my first 10K this month! 

What app do you know you’re underutilizing?

Definitely Pythonista. I know it’s a powerhouse, and I’m trying to learn the language a bit every day. Slowly but surely I’m using it more and more. I need to read more Dr. Drang!

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

Quite a bit. I love my 128 GB iPhone, and I guess you could call me an app hoarder. At the time of this post, my installed app count was nearing 700 apps. I’m always looking to try something new to see what sticks.

What Today View widgets are you using and why?

I’m using a bunch. Some of my favorites are Launcher, which I use to launch directions to home, Shazam a song, open Apple Music and more. I also use Carrot Weather, which has a detailed and good looking forecast. I use Clips and Drafts to manipulate text. I use Shipments to track anything headed to my house, and I use Today Steps to see my step count info.


What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

My favorite feature is that it truly has become a mini computer that allows me to do just about anything. While the iPhone and iPad haven’t replaced my Mac yet, they’re not far off from being able to handle anything you throw at them.

What’s your wallpaper and why?

It’s an amazing Empire Strikes Back movie poster zoomed in. It combines both my love of Star Wars and the color orange. (Two gold stars to Brian! -David)

Anything else you’d like to share?

Apple devices have literally changed my life. It’s so great we can share what makes us productive and happy. Thanks so much for having me, it’s an honor!

Thanks Brian!